ICU love

Didn't think I would like it... but I LOVED it. I love the total care of the TWO patients. The staff today that I worked with was amazing. What started off slow and low acuity turned into high maintenance and circling the drain.


So the nurse did her assessment, I did mine. I couldn't put into words the sounds I heard, I forgot them. I did mention that the rt lower lobe sounded like crackles, but sounded pretty loud. If that made since... not clear, just louder than I had expected. Now mind you I listen to kids lungs every day and they do sound loud pretty much everywhere, but with adults they sounds quiter, where I can never really hear breath sounds at the bases and for me they always sound diminished.

So anyway, I asked her what she thought, "She said the left sounded worse to her and both sides were diminished." But also said,"... that I should trust my assessment, because it is my assessment, and most times the nurse is right, even if the doctor hears something else sometimes."

So by this afternoon, guess which lung was consolidated w/ infiltrates and upon x-ray completely whited out at the base to through middle lobe? Which did not result in a great expected outcome for said patient. PaO2 50

Not that I don't have enough to worry about...

But I need some extra cash now that I bought a brand new car. 2013 Kia Forte

I needed one and it isn't all that expensive or over my head or anything... it's actually only $73 more than my current payment... but the down payment put a little dent in my wallet because I was upside down in the old car.

So never the less, I decided to apply for a PRN/Part-time position at another HomeHealth agency but this is just doing a few visits to the LTC crowd.

I know, I know, when will I find time? Well since my client at work spends an awful lot of time in the hospital these days, I need a back-up plan to pay the bills just in case. The client I usually do as back-up is going back to their parent's so there will not be any hours there.

I figure I have a few shifts in me somewhere... if I can push all my full-time hours in 3 days then have clinical 1 day, that still leaves me 3 whole days available.

What about family, what about studying? Well studying I got covered in my full-time job, plus in 30 something days hopefully I will have passed and will be done... freeing up more time! On the family front, right now it's a few hours here or there and I don't see that changing much.

It's not a done deal, as I just applied last night... but sometimes there just has to be a time where you have to spread yourself a bit thinner to get the finances straightened out.

Speaking of thinner... the trainer and gym are put on hold too... but the biking and hiking seasons are upon us finally... and there will be a treadmill in my living-room soon enough as well :-)

Enjoyment Reading... what a novel concept!!

So I have been doing a little light reading trying to get myself out of my funk. My go to book of choice was more of a go to genre of Austenish designs...



&



The later, I have not actually read yet... but it is on the agenda, at some point soon. I am trying to get out of this damn sludge I have been in all semester, while I still can... after tomorrow it'll be back to the grind and the next 38 days are going to be NUTS... yes folks that is how many days until my FINAL!!


3 freaking 8

Contemplating the Great White North

So I have a job, yay me... anyway, when I finish RN and finally get that new title, I still have a job, yay me! But the problem is that I did NOT go back to school to stay in Homecare or LTC, especially if they are not going to give me the promised HUGE raise the title comes with as they once had promised. Around here getting into a hospital or a specialty is pretty slim pickings without a BSN- which I won't have for another year.

So the choice... stay here, work where I work, possibly pick up some second job somewhere and finish up my BSN with hopes of getting into what I really want to do closer to home, OR pick up and move up to the frozen tundra for two years and get a job in a hospital, in a specialty and gain experience while I also work toward my BSN.

Since I have no idea where my kids will be living in the next few years, each has chosen a military path of some sort, there isn't much grounding me permanently to one specific state.

Hubby is up for the challenge, either a long distance marriage, with visits, or him moving up there with me, the relocation package is pretty sweet.

I guess I will know more in December and even more after I pass the NCLEX, but it has me seriously contemplating which direction my future could possibly turn.

I am up for an adventure!!

The clothes

So I broke down and bought 1 new outfit... ok it was for work, but seriously I couldn't go to work with stuff nearly falling off of me anymore.

Scrub top

Before 2x-3x depending on style

Now Large




Scrub Bottom

Before 1x

Now Med

Stuck, stuck,... goose

But seriously I spent the day in the ER today and I was a blood draw and IV start queen. Even learned how to do a 12 lead EKG... which has been alluding me for some time. Chest pain protocol abound and pretty much having to conquer my fears to just do it... so I did.

I honestly haven't gotten a successful blood draw until today and I spent pretty much all day perfecting the process.

1 missed IV and 1 missed blood draw... that I successfully converted! Go me!

Man am I tired.

Preceptorship

What an epic disappointment... not only did I not get ANY of the areas I wanted, I didn't get any of the locations I wanted.

Ultimately this is NOT going to be a networking opportunity that is for sure. Who knows what it will actually be at this point but the choices were an ICU or Med/Surg... no info about the floors or patients. Just that it will be one of the two because despite my grade and being able to make choices I got nothing!

I am pretty pissed off about this right now. Needless to say I have to go to a location I didn't want to go to and the "Preceptorship" is going to be more like freaking clinical except with a full patient load and a facility member being your "preceptor" that is totally not the way to learn how to be an actual nurse on a floor, also it'll be as a group too. This just fucking blows!

The good news?